Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is trying to find a way out after an April referendum in which Dutch voters overwhelmingly rejected the Ukraine-EU treaty on closer political and economic ties | Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Dutch aim to stop military and financial aid to Ukraine

Mark Rutte’s government reacts to rejection of Ukraine deal by the people.

Ukraine will not get financial or military support from the EU, according to a proposal that the Dutch government wants to discuss with EU leaders at a summit on Thursday.

The proposed agreement “reaffirms cooperation with Ukraine in the fields of security” but “it does not contain an obligation for the Union or its member states to provide collective security guarantees or other military aid or assistance to Ukraine,” says the draft of the declaration, a copy of which was obtained by POLITICO.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who faces elections in March, is trying to find a way out after an April referendum in which Dutch voters overwhelmingly rejected the Ukraine-EU treaty on closer political and economic ties.

Many of the Dutch requests were not in the original agreement, which has been provisionally agreed upon. But as a result of the referendum, the Rutte government wants to signal it has red lines on Ukraine.

In a recent interview, Rutte threatened to scupper the deal entirely unless he receives legally binding guarantees from EU leaders that EU-Ukraine Association Agreement will not automatically lead to the country becoming an EU member.

Ukrainians, who turned toward the EU and away from Russia with the 2014 revolution, are looking closely at the wording of the declaration. The revolt was sparked by a last-minute attempt by the then pro-Russia government to walk away from the deal with Europe.

Another point EU leaders will have to come to an agreement on is free movement. The agreement “does not grant to Ukrainian nationals or Union citizens, respectively, the right to reside and work freely within the territory of the member states or Ukraine,” states the Dutch declaration draft, and while it reiterates support for the reform process in Ukraine, it “does not require additional financial support by the member states to Ukraine.”

Other parts of the declaration call for the continuation of the fight against corruption and respect for the rule of law. Diplomats will discuss the Dutch proposal at a meeting Monday night but officials say the talks are likely to continue until the summit Thursday. If the EU leaders agree on the text then, it will have to be voted on by the Dutch parliament.

In another document on the table on Thursday, also obtained by POLITICO, EU leaders insist that “completing the ratification process remains a crucial EU objective." The document also stresses the EU resolve to “deepen and strengthen its relationship with Ukraine in the face of current challenges.”

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Spencer_HR

Bye bye EU

Rutte is running scared, otherwise he would tell his EU masters, to carry on!!

I wonder if Geert Wilders is having a good effect??

EU Died 2016, Thank God!!

Posted on 12/12/16 | 11:03 PM CET

Mark

Whether you are pro-EU or against, this clear signal to Putin that European countries will not send their soldiers to defend Ukraine (because their voters don’t see the need) cannot be good news for anyone.

As Prodi said, referenda are rarely about the question they ask. What I assume is behind the vote of the Dutch is that people (understandably) don’t want another wave of cheap Ukrainian workers flooding the Dutch market, after the Polish and Rumanian masons / carpenters / cleaners of the past ten years. But translating that feeling into a referendum on military support in case of annexation by Russia is quite the stretch – are people now basically saying “I don’t care if Russia invades Ukraine, as long as my next cleaning lady speaks Dutch”?

Posted on 12/13/16 | 1:22 AM CET

belisarius

Well done Dutchmen.

Posted on 12/13/16 | 7:15 AM CET

Andreas J

One of the big lies that the Russian propaganda effort wants to promote is that, “I am good! I deserve better! It is them! They caused my misery!” It is a warm and fuzzy lie we love to hear. Ask yourself why Putin wants you to believe this. What does he gain when the ordinary Russian think this way, and what does he gain when the ordinary Dutch think this way?

Posted on 12/13/16 | 9:04 AM CET

aussie43

It would be interesting to know why the Dutch voted against the agreement. Are the Dutch the first swallows of a new spring in relation to Russia? Are they the first to realise that to prosper you better have friends, not enemies?

Posted on 12/13/16 | 10:44 AM CET

jax

Some people should probably be more concerned about the European Union heading for an epic fail, before worring of what is helping Putin.

Posted on 12/13/16 | 4:13 PM CET

Filippo

Tax evaders vs nazists! Hurry, get a cold beer and some pop corn…this is the most exciting fight since Alì vs Foreman.

Posted on 12/13/16 | 4:39 PM CET

ALRDA

@Mark

Although it is hard to understand the true motives of the people who voted against the treaty in the referendum, indeed, the outcome of the referendum might also be interpreted as : “I don’t care if Russia invades Ukraine”. And indeed, that does send a message that EU countries are not willing to send troops to Ukraine (non-NATO/non-EU) if Russia were to invade. Treaty or not, I cannot imagine our government would send troops to Ukraine, a corrupt mess of a country that we have nothing in common with. Neither culturally or historically.

Is that a bad thing? From Ukrains perspective: maybe. From the perspective of Western Europe: probably not

Posted on 12/13/16 | 5:30 PM CET

Filippo

Very good. Netherlands now can focus its forces in domestic affairs, most of all in dismantling its shameful of corporate taxation that led the country to be ranked third as worst tax heaven worldwide. Maybe its minister for finances Diisselbloem coul ask some technical help to EU institutions. I’m sure that the president of the eurogroup, that curiously has the same name, will be glad to help

Posted on 12/13/16 | 5:45 PM CET

Mark

@ALRDA: There’s a few reasons why I do think Russia annexing Ukraine would not be in Europe’s best interest, even if we don’t have much in common historically. There’s the strategic question of how Russia aggressively expanding its borders will impact us eventually, and there’s the fallout question of what the impact is on Europe of having a war this close to our borders (and potentially another wave of refugees).

But most of all, Ukraine is the source of a lot of our grain, so if Russia takes Ukraine they control a lot of our food supply, on top of the energy (gas) supply for which we already depend on them. Having Ukraine would significantly increase Russia’s power over the EU, and they can leverage that grain advantage in many other areas.

Posted on 12/13/16 | 11:17 PM CET

Total Pain in the Behind

I’m not arguing against the Dutch decision. I’m am stating they have happily adopted what is best for the Netherlands, and left the clean up of the mess to others.

During the Orange revolution in the Ukraine, my European ex-pat friends preached to me, an American, why the Ukraine was European, Ukraine would be a member of the EU and a member of NATO (Europe socialist side with free American paid military$$), why Americans didn’t understand the sophisticated European issues of the Ukraine, and America should let the EU lead in all matters Ukraine.

Fast forward to today and somehow the Ukraine mess has become a U.S. “leadership” problem to fix with aid and military. The EU nations change political directions daily flapping in the political winds.. The EU nations have once again adopted a sit back position where they issue PR announcements signifying nothing as their levels of support for “European Ukraine”.

Posted on 12/14/16 | 2:02 AM CET

p

To make it more factual.
-It was an advisory referendum
-Turn out was low, about 32% ( of those 32% about 60% or so voted no).

It was mr. Rutte his own decision not to put the advise up for voting but try somethning else…somethiung surely no one will be happy with.